Charming Photos and Uplifting Writings

Archive for June, 2011

These months that I call summer seem to go by too fast. The heat may slow me down where I’m sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, sipping cold ice tea, and watching the children play in the water sprinkler seem lazy, but time still seems to get away from me. No matter how fast I move to get things done or relax to enjoy the moment, time continues to tick on by.

I know when I plan my vacation, I will mark the calendar and tell others I just cannot wait to visit the beach or mountain, but most of all; it is the anticipation of wanting to spent time with the family or friends. I get excited as I plan activities, outings, and dining menus. Some preparations of getting the vehicle ready, laundry and packing, and other chores seem to take energy I truly don’t want to waste, but once there to relax in the conversations and laughter, it all seems worth it. The energy to leave, I especially do not want to use and always wish that vacation could last a little bit longer.

I think about one of the latest release movies and the interest of finding the “Fountain of Youth,” but to me, I would prefer the magic to slow time down, but continue forward. I have enjoyed growing older, and the opportunities I have experienced; I would just like to have more seconds in a minute, and more minutes in an hour, to make more hours in a day.

When I was young, I looked forward to coming home, so I could share with friends the excitement I had and show the photos I took. Now that, I am older, home has a different meaning when extended family live out of state, children live in another town, and close friends have moved to new locations, so vacations, family and friends coming together is what I look forward to, so I can share the experiences I have encountered over the year and show the photos I have taken.

This summer is another moment in time, full of plans and excitement to be with family and friends and as I scrapbook each vacation, Holiday, birthday, and other significant events, I realize as time keeps ticking, I have done quite a bit with my life even if I have moved fast to get things done or just sat back to relax.

Each time I travel, it is an opportunity to experience, to learn, to treasure, and add to the collection of memories. Some travels can be stress free, relaxing, and I am able to incorporate new information that inspires learning and creating something new. The sun is shining, few clouds, and a light breeze. Then there are those days, days that seem to be cloud covered, the threat of rain, and no sunshine in the forecast. I have heard myself request a second chance…”Let me go back to bed and try this again.” I have to remind myself that this is the balance, sunlight is needed for growth, development, and a gradual increase in improvement, and so is the need for rain, to quench the thirst, to refresh so I can continue on.

Forward into the moment, forward into the happening, forward into the enjoyment of the occurrence and treasuring all that life has to offer. Experiencing the trial and error of getting lost, weathering out the storm, and pulling over at times; these encounters are what can be given to the library of “nifty idea at the moment” knowledge. I know some refer to it as mistakes and may even have regrets, but I have become who I am by experiencing the “nifty idea at the moment”. It has been those ideas that gave me the sunshine I needed to stimulate creativity and each time I paused to quench my thirst, the expansion of my “nifty idea at the moment” knowledge has motivated me forward.

I guess life, my journey, could be compared to my car that has assisted me along the way. I put it in “D” for the drive, to stay driven, to move forward on my destination and appreciate my surroundings as I continue on my adventure and strive towards my desired dreams. At times, I have had to put it in “R” for the reverse, to backup from the situation, reexamine to see if I may need to establish a better route and include the GPS instructions to my library of “nifty idea at the moment”. The “N” for neutral, when I need to pause, perhaps to collect my thoughts, even to reflex on the environment and “P” for parking into the moment of accomplishment, the creative idea fulfilled and treasured. A lot of mileage has been placed on my vehicles, so the “D” has been beneficial, which the car was designed for driving. I have utilized each vehicle, like using a talent or skill on my destination, moving forward, so I can create, learn and add to the memories of experiencing life. I might prefer the hassle free, relaxing sunshine, but I continue to find inspiration to create even with bumps in the road, thunderstorms, and an occasional flat tire.

Family, that social unit I have either grown up with, grown to love, and grown to depend on can be the best resource around for ideas to be creative. Family, that collection of folks, some blood related, some inherited from marriage and others it’s the love that adopts them into the family. Family, that group or community, in which, I identify with by name, relationship, history or title. Family, that group that comes together with common traits, support, encouragement and an enriching environment that enables and allows expressions of laughter, displeasure, joy, grief, enchantment, annoyance, and affection.

Some of us never leave that family unit after we are born into the assemblage of persons. Others find they have lost their place within the family unit, and their expedition becomes in search of, a quest for acceptance, a balance, a new family. A quest of belonging, to have an identity, search to examine and inquire about the need for a social unit, and fight against the power called loneliness.

Loneliness, that heartache that can trap the growth of creativity, which can conjure pain, mourning and desolation that can keep a person separated from others as if quarantined to suffer. Loneliness can confine the spirit, place limitations on the possibilities, and hinder the pursuit in finding that common trait to connect and experience companionship.

To engage or relate to others, I have observed, comes from within, a desire, skill, and drive that was given as a blessing at birth. That internal disposition has the power to fight the battle and confront those feelings of isolation. It’s a power that cannot be seen or touched or even enhanced by external substances, it is from within and must be trusted. It never dies, never leaves, only hidden by blindness and controversy within the heart when the path chosen becomes undesirable and lost on a debatable map.

Some look to books, internet, or persons of authority for answers, which enlightens the knowledge to make better choices and others believe that outside substances ease the pain and become content to remain pain free but frozen in time. I truly believe that the skills, talents, and abilities were given at birth, knowing the battles would come and attempt to be obstacles to growth and one must learn to trust, protect and love their self first and the joys to correspond, communicate, and connect on that emotional level that forms families will materialize. Family, that social unit of love, encouragement, support and hope that can stimulate growth to acquire knowledge, to expand the talents, enhance faith, and teach to give of oneself that can offer endless possibilities to dream, create, share and continue on life’s journey.

“When you are in Love you can’t fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams.”— Dr Seuss

Love is expressed by so many as one of the strongest emotion that is uplifting, energetic, vivacious, and exuberant. Writers give definition through all senses of the body. A body that is imperfect becoming perfectly alluring to a specific one for all days. When I read that a character is blind to the surrounding environment of the crowd and only has eyes for the longing love of the one or sharing the love is like a breath of fresh air and with each breath, love has given meaning to living, I know, I want to identify with that possibility that an emotion could be so mesmerizing, so compelling, that it’s what dreams are made of and can be earthbound reality. Maybe that is why fairy tales can be repeated over and over and each generation seems never to give up that it can happen. I think about the movies that have become box office hits; add love, and a sinking ship on her first and only voyage can draw the crowd, a southern belle that lies, cheats, and steals after the civil war touches our hearts that her mistreated love will return, or the horror of a vampire with a mortal and we want them to be together forever.

I remember crying over the family feud that put Romeo and Juliet in their graves, and wondering if this emotion is so strong and interminable, then, why were the emotions of jealousy, anger, and hatred of the families an influence that couldn’t be escaped. Today, divorce attorneys benefit from those same destructive influences when love has ceased to live and been placed in the grave. Many may suffer the consequences, and at times, explained that it was nothing personal, it just didn’t work out.

What didn’t work out if it were to be that truly and honestly binding, enticing, and enchanting attraction that was defined with the heart, the senses, and the endearing emotion called love?

I have no answers. It was suggested years ago in a song, “What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, not just for some, but for everyone.” So, maybe when the heart knows, I mean, truly understands the concept that love must be shared, given in a relationship, then I and others may have the answers.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”
— Helen Keller

Love, an emotion that will continue to confuse, perplex, and even frustrate some, but will keep writers, dreamers, and childhood fairy tales alive and yearning to give definition that will offer hope to some that love; that passionate, profound, deeply penetrating emotion can be a reality.

The days are passing with the heat rising and kids are looking forward to summer vacation. This time of year can open the doors to adventure. Planning escapes to the pool, beach, or even mountain lakes. It’s a time for family and friends to gather for cookouts, ball games, and park retreats. The summer months offer longer days with sunny weather, and even the evenings with fireflies, campfires and smores add to the enjoyment. It’s a time to photograph those vacation memories with everyone smiling and relaxing. Children jumping into the sprinkler, dogs hoarding the kid’s pool, making a splash into the swimming pool or riding a wave into the shore at the beach, these adventures make the summer heat seem refreshing.

It’s also a time when I will say, as I have aged, I am grateful for air conditioning. To remain cool indoors as creative ideas inspire me to write. When the opportunity is not near to experience that refreshing cool down with the splash of water fun, the coolness of the indoors has become essential to aiding to the summer enjoyment.

I can remember from the excitement of the last day of school and saying to friends and acquaintances, “See ya this fall,” I knew my bike was waiting, games would be played, and I had no fear of walking barefoot in the creek. I didn’t need a cell phone or computer. Even, after graduation, and knowing I had a summer job, the creative plans were there to find coolness with water fun either with family or friends. I laugh to myself, when I remember those summer jobs of working in the fields of tobacco, picking peppers and beans, and even mowing the grass and proud that my skin reflected with a tan and showed time spent in the sun. With those memories, the experiences of summer adventures, I truly do not remember much complaining of the summer heat. I am sure there were some complaints, but the creative things about memories; we can make the choice to remember what makes us smile. Maybe that is why so much has been written on, “Making the most of each moment,” so as the memories are formed this summer, this fall we will look back and laugh, knowing we experienced those adventures of coolness with summer fun.

Each day brings new opportunities. This morning was a pleasant break in the heat of June. The weather provided a refreshing morning to enjoy the outdoors. Taking a walk gets the blood pumping and thoughts racing. I think about stories told to me way back when, stories I’ve read, and stories I am writing.

Several years ago in a small town of the south, a house was leveled after the property went to the state with no family to inherit. A surprising discovery of a body was uncovered that was buried under the house. The body had been there over 40 years, and rumor was he had run off with his mistress.

That news article has now given me ideas to expand on the story. Small towns of the south can be filled with mystery. Maybe that is why there are so many legends of pirates, especially Blackbeard and ghost stories with no explanation. Some folks have captured these legends and stories for others to read, but I will have to say when I was a child, they were more intriguing when I heard the old-timers tell them on the waterfront. Their accent, pauses, and facial expressions brought those stories to life, and they were embedded into my memories as if I were there watching the events play out. I don’t hear those stories told as much these days, but I still enjoy remembering and sharing with my children. Today with our technology, I can Google those stories, but the realness of being told has faded over the years. It wasn’t like the horror stories and movies of today, no scare of death. These stories, filled with mystery and unexplained results could keep me on the edge of my seat, focused and wanting to hear more and more. It is a time that has passed, but still alive in the memories of some to be shared.

Within the state of North Carolina, I found the legend of the small town of Bath to be intriguing. A curse placed upon the town by Reverend Whitefield. A town that was prospering with its ports and merchants and supposedly the corrupting influence of Blackbeard the pirate (legend has it; that his gold is still buried there), this Reverend was not welcomed with what he had to say to the people. The folks of the town chased him from Bath and told him that he was never to return. Legend has it; he brushed the dust of the town from his shoes and cursed the town that it will never grow. Today, the town remains small with exceedingly little growth. It was the town of Little Washington that began to thrive with its merchants and ports after the town of Bath was cursed.

I can remember listening to the story being told, and it took longer to be told than written. I truly miss the storytellers of the past and their creative inspiration that gave way to my imagination that left a lasting memory.

It’s only June, and the heat has risen to the temps of summer. These times when I am outside I want to be near the water. If it’s not a time for recreational fun, then air conditioning I seek. When I’m hot, I have discovered that I don’t move as fast, so now I know why they call these times the “lazy days” of summer in the south.

I enjoy sitting indoors, in the coolness of air conditioning, to write, but I will have to say that the outside calls me. I can remember those times when school was out as a child and the summer heat did not seem to slow me down from walking, riding my bike, or running the bases as we played street baseball. It was a time of social fun and days seemed to last longer.

It is those memories that convey ideas for writing and developing characters for a story. Those childhood moments of summer fun, full of energy, dreams, and hopes for the future, that gives inspiration to escape for ideas now that I am an adult. Escaping into the laughter of imagination of super powers, being the hero, flying to new worlds, and pretending the “happy ever” when gold and silver of the pirate ships were found. Yes, I will say, I remember those “lazy days” of summer. It’s only June, and the temperature is rising to prepare for summer, so it’s time to enjoy the outdoors and develop those moments into a story that can be shared.